Two tips for converting your garage into a living space

If you are planning to hire a construction team to convert your garage into a living space, here are two tips which should help to ensure you are happy with the end results of the project.

Find ways to introduce natural light into the space

The lack of natural light in a garage can make it look gloomy, dark and cramped. If you want to turn this part of your home into a habitable space, it is crucial to introduce as much natural light as possible.

There are a number of ways to do this. The simplest and least expensive option is to replace the existing garage door with a side-hinged door that has integrated windows. It should be noted, however, that the windows on garage doors are generally quite narrow and as such, may not allow a great deal of light into the room.

Another option is to have your contractor create a window opening in one of the garage's walls. This could potentially be quite a costly and complex process, particularly if the wall in question is a load-bearing one, as the wall might need to be reinforced after the window has been added to ensure that it remains structurally sound. However, it will enable you to introduce far more light into the space.

Add insulation

Garages often lack insulation. In instances where this area is only being used to house a vehicle and some gardening tools, this isn't really a problem. However, if you want to use this part of your property as a living space, you will need to ensure that it is well-insulated.

There are a couple of reasons for this. Firstly, any radiator that you install in the garage to keep it comfortably warm will be useless without insulation, as the heat that it generates will immediately seep out of the garage.

Secondly, if you fail to insulate your garage and you have water pipes running through this area of your home, there is a risk that the water pipes will freeze and burst open. If this should happen after you have converted the garage into a living space, all of the decor, furniture and other items you have housed in this space could be destroyed by the water from the burst pipe.

There are quite a few ways to insulate your converted garage; you can, for example, have your contractor use foil underlay before you fit the flooring or add fibreglass insulation to the roof section of the garage.

About Me

Yo! If you are planning to have extensive work carried out on your home, you will want to make sure that you understand the role that different contractors will play in the project. When I decided to have work carried out on my property, I didn't really understand when I would need the help of different contractors. Thankfully, I was able to ask my brother-in-law for help. He works as a project manager for a large construction company so he knows exactly what he is doing. I am really happy with the work so I decided I would like to start a blog to help others.